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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cold — an illness
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — to tire
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cold — not warm
  19. kid — child
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com